A formal process is ongoing to select a company(ies) who will roll-out this network within the State Intervention Area.

We set up a Procurement Board to oversee and ensure compliance of the process. Terms of reference and membership of the Procurement Board are available here. The process is known as competitive dialogue. It involves the following steps:

Step 2: Evaluation of the responses received to the PQQ - Concluded 05 July 2016

Step 3: Invitation to Participate in Dialogue (ITPD) - Issued to three bidders in July 2016 and dialogue commenced

Step 4: Invitation to Submit Detailed Solutions (ISDS) - Issued in June 2017. Bidders submitted Detailed Solutions for assessment in September 2017. This is followed by a final stage of dialogue

Step 5: Submission of final tenders

Step 6: The final tenders submitted by qualified bidders will be evaluated

Step 7: Preferred bidder or bidders are identified

Step 8: A contract or contracts will be awarded

The Department's specialist National Broadband Plan (NBP) team have evaluated the detailed solutions submitted by bidders in September 2017 and feedback provided.

One bidder, eir, withdrew from procurement on 30 January 2018.

The procurement is now progressing to the final stages.

Following dialogue, the remaining bidder will be invited to submit final, formal tenders.

It is critically important that the integrity of the procurement process is maintained. To date a large number of stakeholders have been involved in the NBP process. It is critical that all stakeholders are fully aware of how we must manage engagement with the Department during the procurement process. We have developed a communications protocol document​​ setting out the guidelines in this regard. This document sets out the communications protocol for stakeholders engaging with the Department throughout the NBP Intervention procurement process.

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